Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency


The Director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency is an intelligence officer who, upon nomination by the President and confirmation by the Senate, serves as the United States' highest-ranking military intelligence officer. As the chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Director is the primary intelligence adviser to the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and also answers to the Director of National Intelligence through the civilian Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. The Director is also the Commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, a subordinate command of United States Strategic Command. Additionally, they chair the Military Intelligence Board, which coordinates activities of the entire defense intelligence community.

List of DIA Directors

All but two directors were active members of the military. Nagy served briefly in the USAF before joining the DIA. Shedd never served in the military.
#DirectorPhotoServiceTermDurationPresident served under
1Joseph CarrollUSAFOctober 1961 – September 19697 years, 11 monthsJohn F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
2Donald V. BennettUSASeptember 1969 – August 19722 years, 11 monthsRichard Nixon
3Vincent P. de PoixUSNAugust 1972 – September 19742 years, 1 monthRichard Nixon
Gerald Ford
4Daniel O. GrahamUSASeptember 1974 – December 19751 year, 3 monthsGerald Ford
5Samuel V. WilsonUSAMay 1976 – August 19771 year, 3 monthsGerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
6Eugene F. TigheUSAFSeptember 1977 – August 19813 years, 11 monthsJimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
7James A. WilliamsUSASeptember 1981 – September 19854 yearsRonald Reagan
8Leonard H. PerrootsUSAFOctober 1985 – December 19883 years, 2 monthsRonald Reagan
9Harry E. SoysterUSADecember 1988 – September 19912 years, 9 monthsRonald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
ActingDennis M. NagyCivilianSeptember 1991 – November 19912 monthsGeorge H. W. Bush
11James R. ClapperUSAFNovember 1991 – August 19953 years, 9 monthsGeorge H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
12Kenneth MinihanUSAFAugust 1995 – February 19967 monthsBill Clinton
13Patrick M. HughesUSAFebruary 1996 – July 19993 years, 5 monthsBill Clinton
14Thomas R. WilsonUSNJuly 1999 – July 20023 yearsBill Clinton
George W. Bush
15Lowell E. JacobyUSNJuly 2002 – November 20053 years, 4 monthsGeorge W. Bush
16Michael D. MaplesUSANovember 2005 – March 20093 years, 4 monthsGeorge W. Bush
Barack Obama
17Ronald BurgessUSAMarch 2009 – July 20123 years, 4 monthsBarack Obama
18Michael T. FlynnUSAJuly 2012 – August 20142 years, 1 monthBarack Obama
ActingDavid SheddCivilianAugust 2014 – January 20155 monthsBarack Obama
19Vincent R. StewartUSMCJanuary 2015 – October 20172 years, 9 monthsBarack Obama
Donald Trump
20Robert P. Ashley Jr.USAOctober 2017 – Present2 years, 6 monthsDonald Trump